Here For You
by RockinGurl
Summary: The moments we didn't see. The ending I wanted. Sam and Josh grow close after the disappearance of his sisters, and even after he terrorized the group, Sam is still determined to find Josh before he suffers the same fate as Hannah.


**Chapter 1: I thought we were close...**

The night that would end up changing the lives of everyone, had started as most nights did when the whole crew met at the Washington's lodge at the top of Blackwood Mountain. And, of course, it had ended the same way, Beth taking care of Josh and Chris who would eventually drink far more than they should and be passed out early. While everyone else partied more, only turning in for the night when the liquor caught up to them. Or at least, that's how it should have ended up, but who could have predicted the chaos that would start that night, and that the chaos would continue to haunt them afterwards?

While the others were always so wrapped up in themselves, Samantha was the only exception to the rule. Sometimes, Sam, as she preferred to be called, felt a bit out of place when it came to these annual winter getaways that the Washington siblings held for their friends. She didn't drink, she hadn't dated much, she was never someone who was interested in the drama that the others could create. Truly, the only reason she came to the cabin was to be with her friends, especially her best friend, Hannah Washington.

She tried... She just wished she had tried harder to reach Hannah before she was lured into the room, to make sure that her vulnerable friend wouldn't get hurt by a prank. Sam knew that Hannah had a crush on Mike, when they were together, it was practically all she would talk about. Mike this, Mike that, Mike is too good for Emily, Mike could do no wrong... Ugh, just the thought of those conversations made Sam roll her eyes. She loved Hannah, she wanted Hannah to be happy, but Sam knew that this crush could potentially get Hannah hurt. And she was right, the prank did hurt Hannah, enough for her to run out of the safety of the lodge and into the snow storm.

It had been nearly an hour since Beth had gone after Hannah, the worry was setting in for Sam. Why hadn't she gone after Hannah with Beth? Help find her best friend, maybe they would have been back by now. As Sam stared out the window, she was actually longing to hear Hannah drone on and on about her crush. As long as she was doing that, she was safe.

The air inside the cabin had cooled since the fire had turned into just embers. A breeze hit Sam, causing a shiver to run up her spine and the goosebumps to rise on her soft skin. She pulled the sleeves of her red sweater down to cover her arms as they crossed in front of her and she gently rubbed her them with her hands, hoping to generate some warmth as she sat in the chair by the front door of the lodge.

That's where she stayed, all night, her eyes out the window, looking for any sign of her friends safe return. Even though she was exhausted, she would not allow herself to sleep.

It amazed her that she was able to hear one of the guys snoring from upstairs. How could they sleep before the girls returned? At least Chris and Josh had an excuse for being passed out, but they had no idea what was happening. She merely listened as Mike and Ashley assisted them to a bed so that they could have some comfort before they woke and the hangover took effect, but she didn't hear them inform Josh about his sisters. It was probably for the best, considering there wasn't much he could do in his drunken state.

It was nearly morning, and still no sign of the twins. The panic was justified, and just thinking about the girls being lost during the snow storm was far too much for Sam to consider. A panic that caused a knot to form in the pit of her stomach. She stood from the chair, noticing just how quiet it had become. She quickly made her way up to Josh's room. He needed to know what had happened. She had to do something... they ALL needed to do something.

"Josh?" Sam whispered as she slowly opened the door. He was laying so awkward, his body spralled on the bed, his legs hanging off the end, it looked like Mike had just thrown him on the bed without thinking. Sam sighed softly, walking over and sitting next to him. She gently reached over, touching his face ever so slightly, the palm of her hand just barely brushing against his skin. She spoke a bit louder, hoping to stir him, "Josh, wake up."

Josh groaned, his head was pounding as he began to stir awake by the sound of a soft voice. He didn't want to wake up, he didn't want to feel the pain of a hangover. But the feeling of someone's hand on his face made his eyes open. Through the dry blur, he could see her unmistakeable golden hair and beautiful hazel eyes.

"Sammy." His voice was dry, and he swallowed hard, trying his best to remedy it. His stinging eyes closed once more. "What's going on?"

"Josh, you have to get up. It's Hannah and Beth..."

"What? What about Hannah and Beth?" He asked, sitting up. The pounding in his head became worse, and he groaned, resting his head in his hands. It took a minute for him to get ahold of the pain in his head and he looked over, his eyes catching hers. "Where are Hannah and Beth? Are they okay?"

"I don't know," Sam said, regrettably. "Hannah took off into the woods and Beth went after her, they've been gone all night. They never came back."

"What? What would possess Hannah to take off?"

Josh stood up a bit too fast, nearly falling over. Sam stood and grabbed his arm, helping him regain his balance. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they stood together by the end of the bed.

"They... they pulled a prank on her. I tried looking for her before they could do it, but I didn't get to her in time. I got there just before she ran off, but..." She paused, guilt building in her gut, making her feeling boarderline sick to her stomach. "I should have gone after her with Beth, tried to help my best friend when she needed me."

She was now avoiding eye contact with Josh, though she didn't move out of his grasp. She didn't want him to be angry with her, though she figured he would be. She was wrong, he knew that Sam wouldn't do anything to hurt his sister, they were best friends. Josh was never able to admit it to anyone, not even Chris, how much he truly cared about Sam. There was nothing that Sam could do that would make him think less of her. He gently squeezed her shoulder, hoping she would realize that he wasn't angry with her.

"Let's just... let's go look for my sisters."

Sam nodded, releasing him and walking to the bed side table. She picked up the glass of water and the two ibuprofen that Ashley had placed early, and gave them to Josh. "Here, this might take some of the edge off of the hangover," she said with a slight smirk. He chuckled softly, nodding in agreement as he took the pills and drank all of the water that was in the glass. She looked at her watch and sighed softly. "They've been gone for far too long. Should we call someone now? Or should we try looking first? What's the best thing to do in this kind of situation?"

"I have no idea." Josh shook his head, placing the glass down and walking to the door. He was trying to make sense of everything he had been told, and the guilt that he had gotten completely plastered with Chris, and it rendered him unable to be there for his sisters when they needed him.

By the time Sam and Josh made it downstairs, Mike and Chris were in the kitchen. Chris groaning in pain with his head resting on the dinning table, clearly regretting his consumption of alcohol the night before.

"Morning guys," Mike greeted them with a smile. "Sam, how long did it take Beth and Hannah to return? Were you up long?"

"They never came back."

"What? Shit, should we call someone?" Mike's whole demeaner changed, he looked more worried than Sam would have thought he would be, considering he was a big reason as to why Hannah and Beth ended up leaving the lodge in the first place. "The... Sheriff's Office? The Park Ranger Service or whatever it's called?"

"Yeah, that... yeah, you do that. I'm going to go and try to find my sisters myself. It will take them a while to get started and I don't want to leave my sisters alone any longer than they have been already." Josh didn't stop his momentum, continuing to walk to the front door of the lodge. He didn't even stop to grab a coat to protect him from the frigid cold that awaited him.

"Alright, I'm coming with you, Josh," Sam responded, following him out the door. Sam, ever vigilant grabbed both of their coats as she followed him. It was almost as though he didn't expect or, perhaps, wasn't interested, in anyone coming with him to help. "Josh, hold up!" Sam called for him, running to catch up to him while putting her coat on.

"Hannah?! Beth?!" Josh called out, the fear and concern evident in his voice as he tried to push past the pain and illness he felt from the hangover. He was so focused on what he was doing, he wasn't even aware that Sam was right behind him. So, when she touched his arm, he jumped slightly and turned to look at her.

"Come on, it's cold out here," Sam smiled as his eyes caught hers and she held his coat out in order to help him put it on. It almost seemed as though Josh was miles away, his eyes were distant. He had always been a loner, but it never felt like this to Sam before now. But, was it really all that surprising? He had no idea where his sisters were, his mind was on that. So, she knew that she had to help him do whatever they could to find them. "Hannah! Beth?" She moved ahead of him a little bit, before it struck her. "Josh," She turned around quickly, taking notice of the state he was in. His eyes were still red from the drunken night he had. "What if they got so far out that they couldn't see the way back and they went to the guest cabin?"

Josh nodded. It was a long shot, but it was definetly possible. "Yeah, sure, let's go."

Sam and Josh quickly made the long trip to the guest cabin. The fresh snow that had fallen during the snowstorm the night before had erased any footprints that the girls could have made. The silence between the two was only interrupted when they took turns calling out for Hannah and Beth. She had no idea what she would even say if she tried.

The outbuilding looked like a ruin from the storm, and Josh knew they were close. He felt his heart pound so hard in his chest, his hearing was muffled by it. He needed to find his sisters. They had to be okay, if they weren't, he wasn't sure he could live with himself. The blame wasn't his to take, but he took it never the less.

The cabin was dark. Still, they both ran to the door, both hoping that they would find the girls sleeping, completely safe. But that was not to be. It was empty, there was no sign that they had even been there that night.

It wasn't until a week later that the search party disbanded and the rangers and every other police officer that had come, left. The investigation wasn't closed, but any leads they had went no where. It was hard for everyone, but for Josh, it was a moment that would break him down. The only thing that could help him after, was a someone...


End file.
